Joe Boyle thought he caught Aaron Judge looking. With the Yankees’ center fielder facing a 1-2 count, the Athletics’ starter fired a 99-mph fastball to the lower, outside corner of the plate in the first inning. Judge froze on the pitch, watched it zip by, and slowly began walking back to the Yankees’ dugout, dismayed by his strikeout. Except Boyle had balked prior to the pitch. “It was a quick pitch, so I didn’t know what was going on,” Judge said. Informed of the call, Judge flashed a quick grin before stepping back into the batter’s box. When the at-bat resumed, Boyle targeted the same part of the zone with another heater. But the right-hander missed a few inches high at 97 mph. Judge, taking full advantage of his second life, went the other way with the pitch, driving it over the right field wall for a two-run homer in the Yankees’ 7-3 win. “I didn’t even realize Judgy was walking off because I saw the balk right away and I saw the call right away,” Aaron Boone said. Boyle thought he rung up Judge looking but got called for a balk. The next pitch, Judge hits it out.#RepBX | #Yankees pic.twitter.com/2tMk4bHOxY — Depressed New York Fan (@JudgeEnjoyer) April 24, 2024 What initially looked like a punchout became a Yankee milestone, as Judge picked up the 261st home run of his career. That gives him one more than another pinstriped captain, Derek Jeter. “I haven’t really thought of it to be honest,” Judge said. “It’s special. Derek had an amazing career here. He did so many great things for this organization, and I’m hoping I can do the same.” Judge has not had the best season up to this point. While Wednesday’s homer was his fourth of the year, the 2022 MVP entered the game with a .180/.315/.348 slash line and a below-average 95 OPS+. However, Judge made some solid contact and doubled in Tuesday’s win, which prompted Boone to reiterate his confidence in the slugger. “Even when he has a bad series or whatever where he’s not swinging great, Aaron Judge is always close,” Boone said prior to the game. “Physically, I think he’s in a good spot. It’s just a matter of really getting that next level of timing down. When he does that, he’ll take off.” While Judge has had some needed success over his last two games, he didn’t want to get carried away. “It’s not back yet,” he said of his swing. “Always a work in progress, but I was happy to add two there in the first, and then the boys took care of the rest.” Indeed, as the Yankees tacked on another run in the fourth when Anthony Volpe, also in a funk, lined a triple toward fellow New Jerseyan Lawrence Butler. The ball dove at the right fielder’s ankles and bounced to the wall as Butler fell on the play, which drove Austin Wells home. Juan Soto then plated Volpe with a sac fly. The Yankees weren’t done there, though, as Anthony Rizzo, another early-season struggler, went deep in the fifth. The solo shot marked the first baseman’s second homer in as many days. “A little more control up there,” Boone said of differences in Rizzo’s recent at-bats. “He’s a unique hitter in that he’s a little more versatile than most guys in the strike zone, so he can handle a lot of pitches. He has that bat to ball capability, so he knows he can touch a lot of balls. So just even by his standard, making sure he’s a little more selective. I think he’s done a good job of that.” Soto then added a solo homer in the sixth, getting a run back for the Yankees after Brent Rooker knocked Clarke Schmidt out of the game with a three-run jack in the top of the inning. Wednesday marked the first time that Soto and Judge homered in the same game. Boone said the feat made him feel “warm and fuzzy inside on a cool night where the wind’s blowing and I’m cold out there.” “A little warm and fuzzy,” the manager repeated, “kind of like some hot chocolate on a cold day. No, it was great. I don’t think it’s gonna be the last time those two homer together.” Added Judge: “After every win, I feel warm and fuzzy. So we got another win. So that’s a great line.” Juan Soto goes yard and takes a glove with him! pic.twitter.com/8EWO0cxHWm — MLB (@MLB) April 25, 2024 Prior to the Rooker home run, Schmidt had cruised, not permitting a run. In the end, he totaled three earned, four hits, two walks, six strikeouts and 92 pitches over 5.1 innings in his fifth start of the season. Schmidt has now allowed three runs or less in 30 starts since the beginning of last season. That leads the majors. “It means a lot for sure,” he said. “As a starting pitcher, whenever you go out there with that in mind, three runs or less, you give your team a chance to win the ballgame. That’s what I’m trying to do every single time.” The Yankees added an additional insurance run in the seventh when Alex Verdugo lined a sac fly. With a win in the books, the Yankees will look to take the series from the A’s in Thursday’s finale. Nestor Cortes will start for the Yankees, while Oakland’s Alex Wood will look to lower his 7.89 ERA after getting tossed from Wednesday’s game.